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O'Hara Shines for U.S. at U-20 World Cup

Moscow, Russia - Stanford newcomer Kelley O'Hara made an immediate impact for the U.S. U-20 World Cup team today, as the squad narrowly defeated Congo in the opening round of action at the FIFA U-20 World Championships in Russia. O'Hara scored the first goal for the team, knocking in a pass from teammate Alexandra Long at the 33 minute mark.

'I thought that Alexandra was going to turn out wide but instead she played me in right at the heart of their defense,' O'Hara said after the game. 'I turned quite fast, hit it hard, and bingo!'

In the 2-1 opening round win, O'Hara played all 90 minutes at forward for the U.S. and was a dominant player for the team's offense. In addition to her goal, the Fayetteville, Ga. native had two close shots, one which hit the crossbar in the second half. For her efforts, O'Hara was named the Player of the Match.

'The American forward was combative throughout and showed great flair,' said Connie Selby, a member of the Technical Study Group, on O'Hara. 'She's also got excellent ball control and showed her eye for an opening several times. Finally, she proved when she struck the woodwork that she possesses a very powerful shot.'

Fellow Cardinal Ali Riley is also in Moscow competing at the U-20 World Championships. The Stanford freshman is a member of the New Zealand squad, which fell to Australia in the opening round yesterday, 0-3. Riley started the match at forward, and played all 90 minutes.

The New Zealand team continues action tomorrow, taking on the host Russians at Petrovsky Stadium. The next match for the U.S. will be against Argentina on Monday.